


Cake, Please!

by TDKeh16



Series: Tumblr Fics and Prompts [32]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Awkward Jack Zimmermann, Bakery AU, Based on a Tumblr Post, Fluff, M/M, Professional Baker Eric Bittle, Romantic Fluff, SO MUCH FLUFF, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, background nurseydex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 12:10:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8532517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TDKeh16/pseuds/TDKeh16
Summary: Jack is smitten with the cute owner of the bakery near his house. He keeps ordering baked goods he does NOT need as any excuse he can find to see Bitty.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to tumblr here: https://tdkeh.tumblr.com/post/153061426324/cake-please  
> Visit the link for credits to the original poster who thought up this adorable prompt.
> 
> It's been a rough week. Have some fluff.

"Hey there! How can I help you today?"

 

Jack had wandered into the recently opened bakery near his home to enquire about ordering a cake for his mother's upcoming birthday. His parents would be visiting him in Providence for a few days and he wanted something a little more special than just a regular grocery store cake. He had seen a few flyers for this bakery around the neighbourhood and figured it would be a safe bet.

 

What he had not figured on was that he would be temporarily rendered speechless at the sight of sunshine personified behind the counter. "Huh?" Was all Jack was able to say in response.

 

Bitty gave a short chuckle and then repeated his question. "What can I do for you, sir?"

 

"Oh. Um, sorry. I was just..." Jack forced himself to look away, choosing instead to focus on the display window filled with ready to go treats like cupcakes and mini pies.

 

"Need some time to decide? I can help you decide, if you like. Is there a particular fruit that is your favourite? Any allergies? Do you like chocolate? Caramel? Pumpkin? How about lemon? I made some lemon tarts this morning, but they're pretty popular here so I only have two left."

 

"I'll take one of those," Jack blurted out without thinking. He liked lemon, sure, but he was almost certain he had come in here for a different reason. "Oh, uh, please. Sorry."

 

"You don't have to apologize. I promise I'm not _that_ much of a stickler for manners. Close, maybe, but not quite." Bitty smiled at him and carefully selected one of the tarts from the display case. He folded it into a thin cardboard take out box and presented it to Jack. "Great! Is there anything else I can do for you today? Maybe a coffee? Or tea? Do you like tea?"

 

"I like coffee more. So, coffee I guess?"

 

Bitty chuckled again. "You don't _have_ to buy a coffee... Please don't feel obligated."

 

"No, that's okay. I want one. Or-- what kind of tea do you-- no. Coffee. That's okay. Coffee, please. Like, a small one? Or a large one if that's all you have? Please?"

 

"If I only had one size of coffee there wouldn't be a 'large' to compared to anything."

 

"Oh yeah. Right. Okay, so... a large coffee. Please." Jack mentally chastised himself for repeatedly tagging 'please' along at the end of everything he was saying, instead of working it into the earlier sentences in a more organic way. "Or-- wait-- Please, a medium." He groaned. That sounded more awkward than before. He should have stayed with his tried and true first method. 

 

"We only offer small or large drinks."

 

"Oh! Okay, so--"

 

"I'm teasing," Bitty said with a smile and a coy wink at Jack. "Medium it is."

 

"Thank you." Jack _tried_ not to stare at Bitty, he swore -- but when he turned his back to pour the coffee, Jack's eyes could not help but notice his strong shoulders despite his slight frame. His narrow hips, the way that Bitty's apron was tied snugly against the small of his back. Just above--

 

"Cream or sugar? We also have milk if you would prefer that instead."

 

"Whatever you like."

 

Bitty laughed again. "Honey, it's  _your_ coffee -- order what _you_ like." This was certainly the strangest customer Bitty had had for a while. This poor man was so darn shy. A light shade of pink tinted his cheeks. "Sorry. I shouldn't just call a customer 'honey' like that..."

 

"It's okay." Jack cracked a small smile. "Black coffee, please?"

 

"Great," Bitty said as he snapped the plastic lid on Jack's coffee cup. "Then you're all set." Bitty rang up the total on the till with a smile and Jack paid. "You'll have to come around again and let me know what you think."

 

"I will." Jack took his coffee and tart and left. He had planned to wait until he got home to eat, but the bakery had smelled so good that he could not resist sneaking a bite while he sat in his parked car.

 

It was incredible. Jack was certain it was the best thing he had ever tasted in his life. He quickly finished it, then regretted not savouring it a little longer.

 

Bitty rounded the corner from the kitchen to the counter when he heard the bell jingle at the door. "Hey there! How can I-- oh! Back so soon? Did you forget something?"

 

"I liked it," Jack said.

 

"You liked... Oh! You tried it _already_? Oh lord! Aren't you adorable!" Bitty laughed. "Well, thank you. I'm happy to hear that."

 

"Can I buy the other one?"

 

"Of course!"

 

"I'll try to actually bring this one home this time."

 

"Well, if you  _don't_ I certainly won't tattle on you." Bitty packed up the second tart and rung up the price on the till.

 

"Heh." Jack gave him a small grin. "Good to know."

 

"Let me give you a business card as well. It also works as our frequent customer punch card--" Bitty put two holes in the cards. "So you'll keep coming back for more."

 

"Like the Pringles."

 

"Hm?" 

 

Jack began to sweat. Maybe he was remembering the slogan wrong. After all, he had mostly seen those commercials on French channels in Québec. Why did he try to reference an English slogan he barely remembered? Bitty blinked at him curiously. Oh,  _that's_ why. The employee at this bakery was really cute and Jack would say anything as an excuse to see him for a little longer.

 

"Um, it was, 'if you pop you won't stop' or something?"

 

"Ohh! That's right! 'Once you pop, you can't stop.' I forgot all about that. It's been a while," Bitty said with a bright smile.

 

Jack breathed a small sigh of relief. "Right." He took the box and studied the business card briefly before tucking it into the back pocket of his jeans.

 

He did not notice Bitty’s eyes following his hand, but Jack definitely noticed the beautiful pink tinting his cheeks. Bitty got a little flustered when he thought he had been caught staring at the surely illegal way Jack fit into his jeans. "Oh! Um, sorry, I just-- um... see you again soon?"

 

"Definitely."

 

"Wonderful."

 

"Okay, bye."

 

Bitty smiled politely until Jack had left the bakery and then collapsed dramatically onto the counter. "Ohhh myyy goddd!!!"

 

His coworker, Dex came around from the kitchen. "What's the matter?"

 

"I think a customer just caught me checking out his ass..."

 

"That's not really _professional_ , Bitty..."

 

"I know, I know, but... You don't understand. He was  _ **so**_ cute. He was so shy and sweet and at one point he made an awkward joke and got all flustered..."

 

"Okay..."

 

"And all of that was wrapped up inside the most **_ridiculously_** **_attractive_** body I have ever seen. I'm not even sure he was human, to be honest. He was like some more evolved form... like a Human 2.0."

 

"That sounds like some kind of a robot."

 

"Or an _angel_." Bitty sighed. "I hope I didn't scare him off..."

 

******

 

Jack was already back in his car with the second tart before he remembered the reason he had set foot in that bakery in the first place -- the cake for his mother's birthday. He had been too embarassed to return once again, so he had decided to wait a little and call instead. The bakery was closed, but he left a brief message on the answering machine instead.

 

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?" Dex groaned and replayed the message for Bitty when he got into work the next morning.

 

"Hi. It's Jack. I wanted to know if you make custom cakes for birthdays. Please call me back."

 

Bitty laughed. "Who is Jack? He didn't even leave a phone number!"

 

"There's more," Dex warned and played the next message. 

 

"Sorry. I should have said 'thank you' before hanging up. So... thank you."

 

Dex had been annoyed when he first listened to the messages, but hearing them a second time with his friend who was currently crying from laughter was definitely a lot more fun. He laughed too, but mostly at Bitty’s joyful reaction. "The calls came in around 7:30, so I guess I'll check the caller ID and hope that it's listed."

 

The lightbulb went off inside Bitty's head. "Wait! I'll call him!" He snatched the phone eagerly from the redhead's hand. "Sorry, just-- I think this might be that same guy from yesterday and you might not have the patience for him."

 

"Which guy? The awkward cute one with the nice ass?"

 

"Yeah. It sounds like him."

 

" _Bitty_..." Dex cautioned. He did not want to see his dear friend get burned by another hopeless crush.

 

"I know, I know. I'm not going to fall for yet another straight guy -- he's just shy and indecisive and I think I've got a better chance at establishing a rapport with him after yesterday."

 

" _Sure._ "

 

Bitty shooed him away and called Jack back. "Hey there! This is Eric Bittle."

 

Jack recognized the name instantly from the bakery. He had spent more time than he cared to admit staring at the business card Bitty had given him before finally placing his phone call the night before. "Oh, hi! Um, hey." 

 

"I believe we met yesterday. You came into my bakery and bought some lemon tarts."

 

"Oh, yes. They were both delicious."

 

Bitty smiled. "Why, thank you." 

 

"I didn't know you were the owner, too."

 

"I sure am. You wanted to ask about custom birthday cakes?"

 

"Yes."

 

Bitty waited for Jack to elaborate, but he said nothing more. "So... is it for someone special? Your wife?" Dex shook his head and Bitty shooed him away again.

 

"I'm not married."

 

"Oh really? A hands--" Bitty stopped himself from calling Jack handsome and cleared his throat. "Pardon me. Your girlfriend, maybe?"

 

"I don't have a girlfriend. The cake is for my mom. My parents are coming to visit over her birthday, so I wanted to do something special."

 

"Oh! Well aren't you just the sweetest thing! What age will she be turning?"

 

"She's turning sixty."

 

"Well then, I'll be sure to make it extra special for that milestone birthday." Bitty paced the room with a bright smile on his face. "Would you like to give me your email address? I can send you some information about our size and pricing options, and available flavours -- it gets a little overwhelming if I try to explain it all over the phone."

 

"Oh, um..."

 

"Of course I  _can_ give you the information over the phone if you'd prefer, but I promise I won't spam you with offers or anything."

 

"No, uh... Could I come by in person, instead? I think it might be better that way -- unless tbat inconveniences you, or--"

 

"No, not at all. Please, you're welcome to stop by any time."

 

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

 

***2 months later***

 

And so it began -- Jack became a regular sight around Bitty's bakery in the months to follow. He usually visited 3 times a week. Sometimes he only made it in one day a week, and at other times five days. Bitty always looked forward to his visits and calls.

 

"Hey there, stranger. Long time no see," Bitty smiled when Jack walked through the door a few minutes before they were closing for the night. 

 

"I was on the road again." Jack watched Bitty as he stepped around the corner and walked towards him. "Oh, uh..." Bitty passed him and turned off the 'open' sign in the window, flipped over the sign on the door that displayed their business hours, and clicked the lock. "Sorry, I didn't look at the time. I should go."

 

"No. Stay. Um, well, if you want to... Please stay." Bitty smiled and walked back around to the till. "Is there something you wanted before I cash out?"

 

Jack examined the display of over a dozen individual deserts and a perfectly intact pecan pie. "What do you do with the stuff you don't sell?"

 

Bitty sighed. "Well, the pie I can put out again tomorrow, but a lot of the smaller things are just a loss for the day. They would keep in the fridge overnight, but it's just not the same as freshly-baked. Some days are slower than others. It happens." He shrugged his shoulders.

 

"I'll take it."

 

"Take what?"

 

"All of it. Everything that you would have to throw away."

 

"Oh, no, I couldn't--"

 

"I want to. I need some things for tomorrow anyway. Even if you say the quality goes down a little after sitting in the fridge, I'm sure they'll still be just as amazing on the second day."

 

"What time do you need them for tomorrow? I could make something fresh and deliver it if--"

 

"No, this is good. It's perfect."

 

Bitty gave a small frown. Of course he was happy to sell off the day's product, but it still felt like he was taking advatange of his number one customer's generosity. "...Are you sure?"

 

"Positive," Jack insisted. "It's exactly the amount I need."

 

That was a lie, of course. Jack had more baked good than he knew what to do with nowadays. He used every excuse he could find to visit Bitty's bakery. It had started with his mom's birthday, and continued on with every occasion imagineable in his friends', family's, and teammates' lives. His best friend's birthday, his cousin's graduation, his teammate's daughter's bat mitzvah -- Jack was ordering a cake to celebrate something different at least once every week. On days he did not make a custom order, he would stop in for smaller things like batches of cookies or a dozen cupcakes. Maybe a pie. 

 

Usually a pie.

 

Jack's freezer was stuffed with baked goods, and that was even after being able to pawn 90% of what he bought off on the people he knew. They were always happy to oblige, although some of his teammates were starting to worry about his spending habits -- even millionaires needed a budget. Tater and Snowy had taken it upon themselves -- which actually meant Tater dragged Snowy with him -- to visit the bakery in search of the mysterious woman they were sure Jack must be smitten with, but found only two young men working there. They had concluded that Jack simply had a sweet tooth and liked to share. They were not totally off-base after all.

 

Jack _did_ have something sweet on his mind lately -- or rather, _someone..._  and he was currently shaking his head with a smile on his face while carefully packing pastries into a box. Bitty had asked him to stay, even though the bakery was closed. He did not know how long Bitty had intended it to be, but Jack was not about to leave until he was definitively told to go.

 

"You are quite the character, Mr. Zimmermann. You know that?" Bitty let out a happy sigh as Jack paid for his order and Bitty closed out his till for the night. "You must be popular at work, always bringing in treats like this."

 

Jack chuckled. "Something like that." He leaned a little over the counter. "You're quite the character yourself, Mr. Bittle."

 

Bitty laughed. " _Well--_ " He stopped when he heard someone knock lightly on the window. "Oh! Dex, honey! Your ride is here!" He called back to the kitchen as he hurried to unlock the door.

 

"What?! I told him 6:30 at the absolute earliest!" Dex shouted from the kitchen. "He better be prepared to wait!"

 

Nursey was talking quietly but quickly as Bitty let him in. "I was not expecting to see anyone else in here right now. I thought you were being robbed for a second. I almost--" Nursey’s eyes went wide when he spotted Jack Zimmermann. He turned and walked to the kitchen without another word until he spotted his boyfriend. "Um... so Jack Zimmermann is just _here_ right now. Chilling inside your bakery..."

 

"Come on, Nurse. I don't have time for whatever you're trying to--"

 

"I am 100% serious." Nursey took Dex by his arm and dragged him from the kitchen to see for himself. 

 

"You are such a-- Holy shit." Dex’s jaw dropped. "You're really Jack Zimmermann."

 

Bitty laughed at his stunned friends. "What's the matter?"

 

"Bits, _come_ _on_. You must know--" Nursey went silent again when Jack approached them offering a handshake. "I can't believe it's really you."

 

"You're just-- It's so great to meet you. Huge fan. You're amazing." Dex's entire face turned red as Jack shook his hand.

 

Jack smiled. "It's nice to meet you both, too."

 

"Your winning goal last year for the Stanley Cup... I just... beautiful."

 

"Stanley Cup...?" The pieces came together in Bitty's head. "Oh! You're **_that_** Jack Zimmermann!" He started to laugh.

 

Dex was floored. "You live in Providence! How many Jack Zimmermann's with traffic-stopping asses do you think live here?!"

 

Jack laughed. "What was that last part?"

 

"Nothing. I'm so sorry. I should go. Shit-- I haven't finished the dishes yet."

 

Bitty walked over and placed a hand on his arm. "Go home, honey. It's okay. I'll finish up tonight."

 

"I can't leave you to do all the work alone. I'll--"

 

"It's fine. I was planning to stay late to work on some recipes anyways. Besides, I have Jack to keep me company for a while, right Jack?"

 

Jack smiled at him like Bitty was the only person in the room. "Right."

 

"Go! Enjoy your date. I'll see you tomorrow." Bitty hurried them out the door and locked it again. He turned to Jack with a shy smile. "I'm so sorry about that. Everything, actually. I can't believe I didn't know you were in the NHL... I've only been in town for a few months and I've been meaning to check out a Falcs game, but this place keeps me so busy. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you, especially after all this time." He laughed quietly and sat down on one of the dining chairs.

 

"I thought you already knew."

 

"Well, it certainly makes sense in _retrospect_ \-- I just thought you were some office worker who had to travel a lot for work."

 

"And when I mentioned my team?"

 

"I don't know -- a 'marketing team' or something?" Bitty started laughing and tucked his face into the crook of his arm to wipe away the tears streaming down his cheeks. "That's so ridiculous!"

 

Jack chuckled and took the other seat at the small table. "Maybe I should give that a shot after I retire from hockey, eh Bittle?"

 

Bitty looked at him, then burst into more laughter. "You're even wearing a Falcs hat right now! I thought you were just a fan of the home team!!!"

 

"Well, I have some fantastic teammates, so I'm a fan in that sense..." Jack grinned. 

 

Bitty wiped his eyes with his sleeve and tried to compose himself, though a few choked laughs still found their way though. "I'm so sorry I didn't realize who you were..."

 

"Don't be. I actually kinda love that you didn't recognize me. Everyone knowing who you are wherever you go... it can be difficult sometimes. No offense to your friends, of course, they seem genuinely nice... But most of the time it's hard to tell if someone is being nice because _they_ are, or because of who _I am_."

 

Bitty winced, he had never seen such a sad expression on Jack's face before. He was typically quiet, sometimes playful, but always had at least a hint of a smile on his face. Bitty cleared his throat. " _Well,_  I hope you're not expecting any special treatment from _me_ because you're rich and famous."

 

Jack smiled with relief. "I wouldn't dream of it."

 

"Good." Bitty smiled back. "I was going to experiment with a few recipes... Can I make you something? As a thank you for being such a good customer -- I know you didn't need to buy all of those treats today -- let me show my appreciation the best way I know."

 

"It's okay if I hang around here tonight?"

 

"Of course!" Bitty stood and smoothed out his apron. "Bring your chair into the kitchen, we can chat while I bake."

 

"Okay." Jack brought the chair with him, but he had no intention of sitting still. Instead he immediately walked to the sink and began washing the last of the dishes Dex had left behind. Bitty protested, but Jack insisted.

 

"You..." Bitty sighed and threw his hands in the air in exhasperation. "Okay. Thank you. I hope you're not expecting a paycheque next week..." He teased.

 

"I can be an unpaid worker. Like a volunteer, or an intern," Jack offered.

 

"I'll hold you to that."

 

"You could always find a different way to repay me..."

 

Bitty's face went red. Did Jack realize where his mind went with that comment? Did he know about Bitty's crush on him? "What did you have in mind?" He asked quietly.

 

"Your smiling face is payment enough."

 

"Oh lord..." Bitty laughed and gave Jack a light swat with a dish towel. "Still... I'm pretty embarrassed I didn't realize who you were all this time -- I played hockey for years. It's how I met Dex and Nursey -- we all played together in college."

 

Jack's ears perked up. "You played hockey?"

 

"Yeah. I was captain of my coed team back in Georgia and my college team for my senior year."

 

"Do you still play?"

 

"For fun sometimes, just with friends. I still love it, but there just isn't time."

 

"I'll have to get you on the ice sometime."

 

"Bitty laughed. "Oh lord! Could you imagine?!"

 

"I think it would be fun." Jack smiled. "We should go skating, you know, together. You can show me some of your skills."

 

"We'll see," Bitty said with a small laugh and turned back to the pie crust he was making. It was easier to laugh it off and hide his face in the opposite direction. His little crush from the past couple of months was getting out of hand. Bitty needed to hit the reset button before he got hurt. "You're from Canada, right?"

 

"Yeah. Well, born here, but raised in Québec. Why?"

 

"And you like apples?"

 

"Yes. Why?" Jack chuckled.

 

"I have an idea of what to make you, that's all."

 

***a few days later***

 

Bitty paced nervously behind the counter. He was not sure if it was a good idea to see Jack right now, but he still wanted to. It had been a lot of fun hanging out with Jack after hours earlier that week -- Bitty had made Jack a maple sugar apple pie that was a big hit. They had sat in the small dining area of the bakery and shared the entire thing, talking and laughing well into the evening. It was almost enough to get Bitty's hopes up, if not for Jack's phone call the following evening:

 

"Hey, it's Jack."

 

Bitty smiled when he saw the now very familiar number come up on the caller ID. "You're calling pretty late, Mr. Zimmermann. Don't you know we're closed for the night?"

 

"Oh. Sorry. I forgot what time it was. It's still early here."

 

"Where is 'here' exactly?"

 

"I'm in Los Angeles right now."

 

"I know we offer free delivery, but LA is quite a stretch..." Bitty teased and Jack chuckled quietly. Usually when Jack called from out of town it was to place a customized cake order for when he returned. Bitty knew this routine well -- Jack would tell him what he wanted the cake to say, and he would trust Bitty's judgement for the design. "What's the order this time?"

 

"Will you go out with me?"

 

The words stabbed right through Bitty's chest. It took him a moment to realize he had not said anything. He cleared his throat to choke back his sudden tears. "Okay. Sounds good. You trust my judgment on this?"

 

"Of course." Jack chuckled. "My flight gets in a little late tomorrow. How does 7pm sound?"

 

"Sure. I'll still be at the bakery then, so... I'll wait for you."

 

"Great. I can't wait."

 

Jack sounded so happy, and Bitty hated how much that hurt. He should be satisfied that he could at least consider him a friend, but at the moment Bitty wanted nothing more than to cry. "Okay. I have to go now. See you tomorrow, Jack. Okay?"

 

"Okay."

 

And now here Bitty was -- 7pm the next night and waiting at the counter with the cake Jack was going to use to ask someone else to date him. Bitty wondered what kind of woman she was. She would undoubtedly be beautiful, and smart, and Bitty hoped she knew how lucky she was. He unlocked the door and Jack came in with a smile -- Bitty quickly turned back towards the counter.

 

Jack's smile faltered. Why did Bitty look so unhappy? He had never seen him like this. "Did something happen? Is something wrong?"

 

Bitty shook his head. "Nope, everything is fine." He smiled, but his eyes did not. "Here..."

 

Jack smiled again when he saw Bitty had baked him something. "You didn't need to--" He stopped when Bitty lifted the lid of the box to reveal the 'will you go out with me' message. "I..."

 

Bitty faked his smile a little brighter. "Who's the lucky girl?"

 

"I... _**you.**_ " Jack blinked in confusion. "I thought-- I'm so sorry. I assumed--" Jack started to sweat. He thought Bitty was gay, had he misread the situation? Bitty had never directly told him so, after all.  Maybe Bitty was just being friendly and assumed Jack was too... but Jack really thought they had had a moment a few nights before. It had felt so right.

 

Bitty frowned with concern. "Oh no, you don't like it. What can I change? I'll bake something new -- do you have time? It's free of charge, of course. I shouldn't have gotten of the phone so quickly last night. If I had run through a design--"

 

"I wasn't ordering a cake..." Jack said quietly.

 

"What?"

 

"I thought you might like me too, so I asked you for a date. I didn't mean to assume anything..."

 

"Wait, what?"

 

Jack covered his eyes with one hand and shook his head. "I'm so embarrassed. I finally worked up the nerve to ask you out after all this time and I thought you said yes... I have a whole date planned and everything..."

 

"A date? With _me?_  You were asking **_me?_** " Bitty was sure he was hearing things wrong. Guys like Jack were not interested in guys like him -- he had learned that lesson plenty of times in his life. 

 

Jack smiled. "Of course."

 

"Why?"

 

Jack did not immediately know how to answer such a heartbreaking question. "I... you're just,  ** _you_**."

 

Bitty cracked a smile for the first time since Jack walked in the door. "True, I _am_ me..." He teased softly.

 

"I know we don't know each other all that well yet, but I'd like a chance to change that -- if you'd let me. I think..."

 

"Yes?" 

 

"I think you might be everything I've ever wanted," Jack told him. "You even play hockey!" 

 

Bitty's laugh came out half-mixed with a sob. "Not at the same caliber as you..."

 

"It doesn't matter." Jack sighed quietly with relief. He was fairly certain he knew the answer, but he had to ask again properly this time. He took the cake from the counter and then offered it back to Bitty. "Will you go out with me?"

 

Bitty nodded vigorously and wiped a tear from his cheek. "Yes."

 

"Can I kiss you?"

 

"Yes."

 

Jack rounded the counter and gently cupped Bitty's cheek, wiping another tear away with his thumb. He leaned down as Bitty tilted his head up and their lips finally met. It was soft and warm and everything Jack had pictured it would be for the past two months -- and more. Bitty's lips were slightly salty from his earlier tears, and Jack swore to himself that he would never make Bitty cry over him again.

 

Bitty opened his eyes again when Jack pulled back. "So..." He smiled.

 

"So..."

 

"Where are you taking me on this date? Am I dressed alright? Do I need to stop at home to change my clothes?"

 

Jack grinned. "That depends..."

 

"Oh? Mysterious... Just what are you planning, Mr. Zimmermann?" Bitty put the cake in the fridge to save it for later. He had never been so happy to get an order wrong in his life.

 

"Do you have your own skates? You might want to grab those. I mean, I'm sure you could rent some..."

 

"Do I have my own skates?" Bitty repeated with a laugh as he led the way to the door. "Listen up, Mister. I have _multiple_  pairs of skates. Are we playing hockey, or going for a leisurely skate?"

 

Jack watched Bitty lock up behind them, and as soon as he was done, Jack slung an arm around Bitty's shoulder. He was a little unsure if it was too much at first, but Bitty quickly reciprocated with his own arm around Jack's waist as they walked to his car. He smiled. "I figured we could take things slow -- maybe save the hockey for our second date."

 

"Figure skates it is, but-- Already planning our second date? Our first one hasn't even started..."

 

"I know, but I've got a really good feeling about this."

 

"Me too," Bitty said and gave Jack's waist a small squeeze.

 

Jack chuckled. "So... figure skates?"

 

"I'll tell you all about it over dinner."

 

"Mysterious..."

 

"Honey, my depths are hidden and _spectacular._ " Bitty laughed.

 

Jack pulled Bitty a little closer and kissed his hair. "I can't wait to find out all about them."

 

*****The End*****

**Author's Note:**

> Btw, Dex and Nursey definitely waited in a parked car down the street because they were worried about Bitty being sad after Jack picked up the "will you go out with me" cake. Nursey made terrible "stake out rhymes with make out" jokes and Dex wonders why he wants to marry such a doofus. They're both very surprised but relieved when they see Bitty and Jack leave with their arms around each other. (And then they make out in the car like teenagers, because seriously)


End file.
